Veronica Mars: Take Her Or Leave Her
by hcsp1
Summary: After taking over "Mars Investigations", Veronica recives a new case to work on. What starts as a simple case as proving an affair is going on, turns into something much more complicated.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, this is a new territory for me. Up until now, I never done a story that's based on something that's live action, nor a mystery story. Oh well, first time for everything I guess... This is my "Veronica Mars" and "Rent" crossover!**

**A few notes before we start, this takes place after the "Veronica Mars" movie and somewhere around 20 years after the events of "Rent". Also, when I say "Rent" I mostly mean the movie adaptation because I never had the chance to watch the actual musical and the movie was the only thing aviable to me. Either way, they are the same from what I read and heard, so hopefully there isn't much difference.**

**Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this, because I had a lot of fun writing this! I own nothing and please review if you have something to say! Enjoy!**

Who thought that the private detective business has lost its popularity, especially in the city of Neptune? It has been a few months since I came back here and took over my father's business. Dare I even say, since I fulfilled my destiny? Nothing has changed since then, for better or worse. My name is Veronica Mars and I'm the head of "Mars Investigations", probably the best PI you can find in Neptune, without getting to cocky. My dad, Keith Mars, former sheriff of Neptune, was back in the department after the last one was "lambed" out. My boyfriend, Logan Echolls, is still serving in the USA navy and is set to return home in a week. My best friend, Wallace Fennel, is still teaching sports in "Neptune High", the same high-school we went to. And my other best friend, also my new assistant, Mac, was making life easier for me whenever we had a case going.

Truth be told, I'm starting to hate the slow business. Don't get me wrong, I'm not what you would call a "Work-o-holic" by any way, nor will I wish anything bad to happen to anyone for my own profit; but slow business is slow business and that means less income, and less action.

Maybe there is a downside to when your father is one of the best sheriffs this pathetic town has ever had. Back when he ran the business and someone else was sitting in the sheriff's chair, we had A LOT of people coming in with all sorts of problems and cases. And you will be surprised how many different cases came, went and resolved at that time.

But now, once my dear old dad went back to his old job, it seems like crime around here slowed down. We would get a new case every now and again; hell, we will get to work on 2 cases back to back if we were lucky, but these occasions were very few. Either people finally learned that crime doesn't pay, or they just tend to skip the detective agency that's right under their noses.

But that's enough about my life so far, what I wanted to talk about was my latest case. It was just an ordinary day at the office. Me and Mac shared our lunch, like most days, and started talking about all sorts of things. From reminiscing about the past to just having a casual girl talk, we somehow reached the subject of what we think our next case is going to be. We threw bets at each other, until both of us decided on what our bets are. My money was on some kind of murder that went on, I had my share of practice with finding murderers, so might as well keep it simple. Mac, on the other hand, thought about a worried person whose significant other was cheating on him or her. Not all that exciting, but certainly more plausible.

Eventually, I went back to my office, as I had some business to take care of in there. Mac returned to her computers, what she did there is beyond me. The day was moving on as slow and boring as usually, and it continued to be like that until an hour before we closed down for the night.

I was just done organizing all of my stuff, checking my equipment to see it didn't get rusty since the last time I used it and going through my desk draw, looking through old files that started to collect dust in there. As I'm going through all of these things, I found a picture of my ex-best friend, Lily Kane. Why "ex-best friend" you might ask? Let's just say, I didn't get into PI from reading too much "Sherlock Holmes" or watching too much "Batman" and thinking "Women can do this to!" because that would have been charming and adorable. She was murdered back when we were in high school and ever since, my world turned upside down. My father lost in the sheriff votes as he blamed Lily's father for the deed, because why would a father kill his own daughter? If only people knew how common this thing is today.

Once he was out of the office, he got his PI license and the then sheriff quote on quote "found the real murderer". To make a long story short, my dad still investigated the case, because some things never added up, until we eventually caught the real cuprite. So, in a sense, my dead best friend was what got me into my "crime fighting" life. I always kept a picture of her with me wherever I go, for both good luck and motivation.

As I smile at the tiny picture that I held, the sound of the door being pushed open reached my ears. I barley heard what the person who just entered said, but I did hear Mac telling her that someone is right through the door. Seeing how I'm the only person that's through this door, I returned everything to its place and fixed my sitting to be as elegant and professional as I could get. My old man always told me, "If you want to be respected, you need to respect as well", unless the person doesn't deserve respect, I always added.

Shortly after, the door to my office opened, and in front of me stood a familiar figure. One I didn't expect to see. On the door, was a woman with somewhat dark skin and black curly hair, who also wore clothes that I personally considered way too fancy and formal in order to be a Neptune resident; thus, proving my suspicion that she wasn't from around her. Once I convinced myself with that fact, I realized that I do know this woman. The way she looked at me, as if she recognized me as well, added to that feel.

"Veronica Mars?" She asked me with surprise in her voice.

"Joanne Jefferson?" I asked back, before she nodded at the name.

Around 9 to 10 years ago, I moved away from Neptune after I have done something that cost my dad the opportunity to become sheriff again. Where did I go? New-York, where new beginnings are possible, and a new beginning was what I needed. When I started attending law school there, I crossed paths with Joanne Jefferson. She is a lawyer, who usually came over to the school in order to give us words of advice on the occupation.

I actually had the chance of talking to her when she visited. She was really smart, professional, and even a great person to talk to. The tips she gave me were also pretty helpful during my stay in law school. Ever since I graduated, I hoped I will get to maybe work with her, but that changed once I moved back to Neptune. Now, however, it looks like she found me.

After a few seconds of silence, due to the unexpected encounter, she took the client seat that was positioned in front of my desk.

"I have to say, I never would have guessed that "Mars Investigations" meant you."

"Well, the FBI didn't want me, so I settled for the family business."

"Still the same Veronica." She said it with a smile, another proof that I never lost my wit. "Anyway, I need your help with something, as wired as it may sound."

It did sound wired. I mean the woman is a lawyer, what does she need a PI for? "I'm listening."

"Have you ever heard of Maureen Johnson?"

The name was familiar. After thinking for about a second on where I knew it from, I remembered hearing about this Maureen on TV a lot. She was a very successful singer, very controversial too. I personally never thought much of her, her music didn't really tickle my fancy and she seemed like someone who is craving for attention. She sang really well, don't get me wrong, but it just wasn't my thing.

"I am familiar with her." I eventually replied. "Not a fan, but I can't deny the girl can sing."

"I know that."

"So, what does she has to do with what you need?" I asked, because I was curious about this. I mean, a lawyer comes over to a PI to talk about a singer. How many situations with that scenario ever accrued?

"She is my wife."

My eyes went wide. This day just got weirder and weirder. She was a lesbian?! I have nothing against gay people at all, but I just never imagined Joanne being one. And she was married to Maureen Johnson of all people?! Wow, life can really be unexpected.

"Maureen Johnson is your wife?" I asked, she nodded, and I was in a loss for words. "Don't get me wrong, I totally pro-gay and lesbian marriage but… You and she are probably the most different people in the world."

"Opposites attract, Veronica."

"So, what is wrong with your wife that you came all the way from New-York for?" I asked, though personally I thought I knew the answer. Maureen seemed like a party animal that will hit on everything that's not an animal or an unanimated object, based on videos of her I saw. So when Joanne said that she suspects Maureen is cheating on her, I wasn't all that surprised.

"I want to ask her about it but… Last time I put too much pressure on her because of her nature, we broke into a fight that almost cost us our engagement. I don't want that again, so I looked for a detective agency online… And I found you. Will you please help me, Veronica?"

Seeing how I had no other case to take besides that and that Joanne was a friend, I decided to take the job. After I agreed to the case, Joanne gave me some stuff that I might need. Keys to the apartment, Maureen's schedule, tickets to nearby concerts and behind the scenes passes and a name. Mark Cohen. According to Joanne, he used to date Maureen and is a film maker, who also edits her music videos.

After we discussed more vital information, Joanne and I shook hands and she headed out the door. I exited a bit later to update Mac on the new case.

"Who was she?"

"Let's say that you won the bet on what the next case is going to be."

"Who's the cheating husband?"

"Maureen Johnson." Mac's face when I said those words was, without a doubt, priceless.

As I filled her in on the details, I told her that I will have to fly to New-York for the case and that she is in charge of accepting clients, in case some do show up when I'm not around. She promised to get me all the information she could about Maureen, first thing in the morning and that whenever I needed her, she will be available.

We closed up for the night and went home. A new case is upon you Veronica; you are back in action again.

**Not much to say, just that it's beginning.**

**Come to think about it, this is also the first time I have ever written a POV story. It's Veronica Mars after all, what's Veronica without her monologues?**

**Hope you enjoyed this! I will try and upload this as soon as I can.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, I took my time uploading this haven't I? Well, I was looking for a beta reader for this story and it took me some time until I found one. So, before we start, I would like to thank the beta reader for this story, glamorouspirate! **

**So, without further ado, here is chapter 2!**

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><p>I arrived at my home half an hour after Mac and I closed up. I had been living with my dad ever since I came back to Neptune. What had started as staying in for a few days was now the current whereabouts of my official bedroom. Truth be told, I completely didn't mind staying with my dad. He and I have been really close for as long as I can remember. Not to mention, when your mother abandons you without a proper goodbye, you are most likely going to warm up to your old man.<p>

When I reached the house, I parked my car and headed to the front door. Once I opened it, I saw my dad, still in his sheriff's uniform, sitting in the living room talking to someone. That someone later proved to be Wallace, my ever so lovable sidekick, as I liked to call him every now and again.

"We have been expecting you, Detective Mars." My dad says with his best formal-yet-mocking voice, rubbing his hands together to appear more 'serious'.

"When both the sheriff and a high-school sports teacher are expecting me in my own home, that's when I know I'm in trouble." I reply with my traditional smirk before hugging both of them and sitting down to join the conversation they were having.

"So, how is my little PI doing?" My dad asks. Oh, I can't wait to tell him and Wallace about this new case.

"I got a new case." I tell both of them. Dad looks interested while Wallace seems to shrug it off.

"Well, I'm sorry to say V, but I won't be able to help you on this one in any way." He tells me. "I'm off to New York tomorrow as a part of a school trip. That's why I came here, to say goodbye before I leave tomorrow." Wallace is off to New York too? Well, isn't that my lucky day?

My smirk grew. "Well, my case requires me to head to New York as well. So you are not off the hook yet, Fennel," I tell him.

Wallace blinked a few times, surprised by my announcement. "Are you kidding me?" He asks, to which I shake my head. The reaction of his face drowning in fake sadness is priceless, to say the least.

"Oh, don't be like that," I 'comfort' him. "I doubt your little school trip has anything to do with affairs," I point out.

My dad is the next to speak up. "You are flying over to New York because of an affair case? Must be something big," he says while nodding his head.

"Well, when a somewhat friend from law school flies all the way here for help, might as well help her out," I replied to the comment.

"Who's the friend and who's the husband?" Wallace asked me and my smirk came back.

"The friend is Joanne Jefferson and the said husband is not much of a husband, but a wife." As I said that, both dad's and Wallace's eyebrows had risen a few centimetres. "It's Maureen Johnson," I then said as the shock faces I expected showed up for a hilarious reply.

"Maureen Johnson is married? Maureen Johnson is a lesbian? And most importantly, are you are going to spy on Maureen Johnson?" Wallace asked me, as if he was overwhelmed by a coincidence.

"Apparently yes to the first two questions and guess so for the third one. I just hope she won't ask me to 'moo' with her." I referenced one of her singles, particularly a part from her live performance of it, when she asked the audience to make cow noises with her. Wallace laughed at the joke while my dad seemed puzzled. "I'll show you what I mean later, pops," I quickly told him.

"Anyway," Wallace returned to the topic. "The school trip I'm going to escort is for the school's film class. We are meeting Mark Cohen during the second day of the trip," Wallace told me. By the way he said it I realized that he was aware of what that guy does for a living.

"The same Mark Cohen that edits Maureen's music videos?" I asked him, to which he nodded. "Joanne gave me his name along with other things I'll need for the investigation. You wouldn't mind trying to get some information out of him, would you, Watson?" I asked, a smile forming on my face as I mentioned the nickname we had given him in relation to me.

Wallace smiled at me. "What kind of Robin would I be to your Batman if I say I will?" He asked. A small metaphor exchange soon followed...

"Glad to see there is still a Shaggy to my Scooby."

"And a Tails to your Sonic."

"That last one was new," I commented. It really was though. We had never used that metaphor before to describe our working relationship.

"Been in my mind for a while," he replied before getting up. "So, I will leave you to get set and I'll see you in New York, I guess," Wallace said, before he told both me and my dad good night and headed out. At least now I know I'm not all alone on this case. True, I had Mac backing me up from here, but it's always good to have someone physically helping me there.

"So," my dad began to say after the door closed. "Care to show me who this singer is that you are about to investigate?"

"I'm warning you, dad." I told him. "You may feel you are too old for it."

"Try me," was his answer.

I showed him some clips of Maureen on YouTube, including said "Moo" performance and I could have sworn that his mind couldn't digest what he had just witnessed. He started to get worried about me following and eventually having a conversation with this woman, but I managed to calm him down by telling him that I had been in much more dangerous situations.

After he retired to bed, I started packing clothes for a week. I am confident that I will discover if our little diva is guilty of cheating or not. I packed the necessities like clothes, my ever so trusty Taser and a few other things.

Tomorrow I'm heading back to New York. Maureen Johnson be prepared, you are about to come face-to-face with a marshmallow.

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><p><strong>Not a lot going on, I know, but it's more of a set-up chapter than anything. I wanted to have Wallace and Keith in this story, so I needed a chapter to show them up. They will appear again in the future of course; they are here for the long run.<strong>

**If I may go a bit fanboy for a second; in case of comparing "Veronica Mars" to "Sonic The Hedgehog" for whatever reason, I think Mac will fit the role of Tails more than Wallace. Just something that came to my mind while re-reading this chapter before upload.**

**Thank you for reading, leave a review if you have something to say and I'll see you next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**After a long wait, here it is! Chapter 3 of my "Veronica Mars" and "Rent" crossover! Not too much to add with the exeption of sorry for the long wait, stuff popped up, and that I hope you will enjoy!**

**Thanks once again to glamorouspirate for betaing this, and doind a great job at it!**

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><p>The next day I arrived back in New York. This time I wasn't starting anew, but keeping myself on the same track that I had put myself on. As the plane arrived at the airport, I got off of it and hurried to grab a taxi to a nearby hotel. New York was still as busy as I remembered; it still amazed me how much this place never sleeps. There is always someone outside, there is always a Starbucks open and apparently, there are always affairs.<p>

According to the schedule Joanne gave me, Maureen had a concert near the end of the week in one of New York's performance halls. Consequently, I chose a pretty centric hotel to stay at. As a PI, you need to get to your destinations fast, so might as well be in the middle of it all, where I can reach both the person and the place in the fastest way that I can.

After checking in and organizing my room for the next week, I started going through Maureen's schedule. For a singer, especially one that controversial, I expected her days to be a bit more… how should I say it? Unique?

There were no visits to a beauty salon, there were no promotional interviews, there were no preparations whatsoever. Hell, the chick barely does any rehearsals from the looks of it. I thought that needed to be like, the number one thing about being a performer, knowing what you need to do when you get on stage to entertain the masses. Then again, judging by the acts I saw Maureen do around the web, she looks like the type of person that will improvise the whole thing because no one in their right mind would allow these acts to be performed on any stage. All the preparation that she had to do was to know the lyrics… and I think most singers know the lyrics to their own songs. Call it a long shot but it seems logical.

It turns out that Maureen Johnson appears at the concert's location only a day before the actual show to check on all the technical stuff accompanying her act. From that behavior alone, I can tell she will be easy to crack. After re-watching some of her music videos to learn her public image a bit more, I decide that it's my time to come head to head with the actual person. Either she is playing it for the cameras, or she is actually acting like that in real life, I'm about to find out.

I called Joanne to make sure that she is away during my little investigation, which she was. She confirmed the fact that our little princess of controversy is indeed at their home, but what she is doing there is beyond us. Maybe she is there having the affair and I won't even need to talk to her, just take my money shot and off to the races with me.

I organized my black leather shoulder bag with my trusty camera and Taser, just in case, and I also added one of my new toys, an earring that's also a tape recorder. Very useful toy, if I may say so myself. After I finished setting up, I headed out of the hotel. I took the taxi to my destination, thinking about how this investigation was going so far. I had Wallace talking with Maureen's music video editor the next day, I had Mac gathering information about her back at home and I was about to go and meet the actual person face to face. I think that I've got this covered.

The taxi stopped near a decent looking house. Seems to be the right size, has a nice garden surrounding it and seems overall affordable for a lawyer and a singer living happily ever after. Actually, count the last one out depending on how well this thing is going to go.

I approached the door and knocked on it, hoping I would get an answer. After a few seconds, the door opened and revealed Maureen Johnson herself. She wore a black sleeveless shirt and dark blue jeans. Her hair was braided as well, but at the same time it seemed really messy, truly, how I expected a wild singer, known for harassing kitchen seats during her shows, look in her natural habitat.

"Maureen Johnson." I said her name after she opened the door.

"Yes. And you are?" She asks me. She seems somewhat irritated by my presence. I only said two words to her and she already hates me. I think this might be a record.

"My name is Veronica Mars, I'm a private investigator." I introduced myself. "May I come in?"

"Oh, um…" She started to mutter some words. Looks like I already hit a nerve on her. "My wife is the lawyer, she is not home and I'm not into these things, what do you want me to…"

I cut her off before she could finish. "It's okay. I didn't come to see your wife… I came to talk to you." I didn't wait for her to reply, I just walked in uninvited because I was pretty sure that if I had waited for her to invite me in, I wouldn't have gotten in.

Maureen seemed stressed by me stepping inside the house, just as I expected based on her reactions so far. Me identifying myself as a PI worked just like I thought it would; she was panicking and that makes busting her easier than eating a candy. Before she notices, I also turn on my hidden recording device in my earring, in case she confesses vocally.

She takes a deep breath and tries to remain calm. "You came here to see me?" She asks, smiling as if laughter is about to consume her. "For what reason, if I may ask, would a private investigator want to see me? I haven't done anything wrong as far as I'm aware." She continues playing naïve, but the fakeness is dripping from her, I can see it.

"Well," I clasp my hands together. "If you need to know, there has been a recent worry between us PI's about celebrities cheating on their husbands or wives, so we decided to split the big case to a few PI's and lucky you, you got me." I say, before adding a fake "Yay!" to that statement.

Like I suspected, she had no idea that PI's don't work like that and that I made the entire thing up. This singer is literally singing to me how guilty she is with her reactions.

"And you think that I cheat on my wife?" She asks, as if shocked by my words. "You know, I thought that private investigators or cops or whatever would be busier with stuff other than accusing artists and such things."

"The business is slow lately, you got us there." I reply. "But we didn't accuse you of anything. I'm just following orders given to me by coming over here. To be honest, I had no idea that you were married, Maureen."

"Oh?" She asks. "I'm rather surprised myself that we managed to hide it from the press for so long. It was Joanne's idea, because she believed that we would get way too many eyebrows raised if we ever announced it publicity." Maureen told me and to be honest, I understood what she meant, seeing as how I'm dating Logan Echolls, who is very familiar to the men in uniform and not because they meet at the book club.

"Well, I'm glad for you both!" I say with the best smile I could muster up at that moment. While the story of how they had to live in secret is kind of touching, and even romantic to a degree, I can see that she is hiding something. After doing this for so long, I started to notice when people lie to me or when they are acting and while Maureen may be a good singer, she has a lot to learn in the acting department. As I complimented her, I tried to inch towards the answer I'm looking for. "So, I assume there is no way you are cheating on your wife then?"

Just as I finished the question, Maureen storms into my face. "Listen here, Blondie." I kind of missed the first words she said after that nickname. People still use "Blondie" as an insult? I thought we broke that stereotype years ago.

"I love Joanne! I will do anything for her! The only reason I can't show my love for her in public is because she doesn't want it, for the sake of our jobs and reputations and I go with it because that's what makes her happy! Let me tell you another thing, Veronica Mars, ever since I was little, I wanted to pierce my nipples." I blinked and shook my head for a split second after hearing it. "I never did because Joanne thought it was gross. I gave up on so many things because of her and she would do the same for me! Get it?" I couldn't help but nod, I could tell she is freaking out because I might have hit a nerve that hid something. But I won't lie; these two really seemed to be in love with each other from what I've just heard.

"Yes. I get it. I have no idea how my colleagues could have assumed something that's so ridiculous." I quickly said.

"Good! Now get out of here!" She hurried to open the door for me to leave.

I walked out of the door without saying another word to her. I walked away from the house for a bit and turned the recording earring off before organizing everything in my head. She did say she loves Joanne with all her heart, but at the same time, it looked like she was hiding something. And by the way she acted she may be hiding something much bigger than just an affair.

I arrived back at the hotel and started writing all the information I had on an investigation board. A stressed suspect means she is hiding something, which is likely to how Joanne came to the thought that Maureen is cheating on her in the first place. However, I have no proof. Now is the time to pull the big guns out.

I wrote down everything I knew in a notepad and on the board, I imported the audio file of my conversation with Maureen into my laptop and emailed it to my father, who could tell me if my suspicion is correct. Mac and Wallace should bring me more information tomorrow, so as of now, I can call this a good first day.

I did call Joanne to tell her that Maureen is most likely hiding something, so she should approach her with caution when she gets home and try to start a wife-to-wife chat on the day's events.

Either way, I'm pretty sure I'm close to figuring this case out. Maureen Johnson will indeed "moo" once I will expose her. Then we will see who the actual "Blondie" is.

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><p><strong>This one wasn't only a lot of fun to write, but it was also the chapter that kick started this all story. Having Veronica interact with Maureen was pretty much my starting point an I really liked how this turned out. Hope you enjoyed it just the same!<strong>

**Please review if you got something to say and I'll see you next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 is here, and even though it doesn't have a lot of plot progress, it does have some of it at the end. Nothing to add on this one other than the usual "Enjoy and please leave a review if you have something to say!"**

**And thanks again for the awesome glamorouspirate for betaing this!**

Morning couldn't come any slower for me. I literally couldn't sleep because I needed to know where this investigation was going. Actually, let me rephrase it, I wanted to know where this investigation was going.

I think that I gave up sleeping at around 3 AM because I couldn't put my mind to rest. What will dad say? What will Mac find to make this investigation easier? What is Wallace going to get from this Mark guy? The excitement of finally working on a case again rushed through me throughout the night and I had to admit, I had missed this feeling.

It didn't change the fact that I couldn't sleep though and that could harm my functionalities today. Oh well, I managed to graduate high school even though I used to sleep through some of my classes, I think I'll do fine.

After a few minutes where I washed my face and did my morning routine, I opened my laptop to see if I had gotten any new emails from either Mac or dad. Nothing new was in my inbox, how disappointing.

I waited for an hour or so, in order to not wake anyone up, before calling my friends. When the clock showed that it was 8 AM I called dad first. I wanted to confirm my thoughts about Maureen's behavior yesterday and he was the person to give me that answer.

"Good morning, Sweetie." Dad answered the call, much to my happiness, because that meant that I didn't have to wait and that he wasn't all that busy being Sheriff right now.

"Morning, pops. Did you get my email last night?" I asked him.

"I did, and Veronica, I don't think you should continue with this case." He said sounding serious, much too serious, to be honest.

"Why? What did your sheriff eye pick up on?" I asked him.

"The woman wanted to pierce her nipples!" He changed from a serious tone to a joking one. "I don't want my sweet and innocent girl being influenced by this woman!"

I laughed, because it was admittedly funny. "I'm glad that from all that conversation that's the detail that you picked up on. You are really helpful, dad." I mocked him.

He giggled as well before he gave me the answer I was looking for. "Well, on a serious note, you are right. Something about the way she speaks sounds very uncomfortable. Let's not mention the part where she snapped at you, very unnatural and scared. She is definitely hiding something." He told me. At least now I know I'm not the only one thinking that.

"Thanks, dad." I say to him. "I'll talk to you later. Right now I have a case to get back to."

"Just so you know, that case of yours got me interested in piercing my nipples." He joked again and I couldn't help it, I laughed.

"Make sure you make "moo" noises to ease the pain." I tell him and he laughed back at me.

I ended the call and directly dialed another number into my phone. It was Wallace's turn. I needed to know how his part of the case was going.

"Morning, V." He tells me as he picks up, sounding very much awake. Then again, keeping an eye on a bunch of teenagers in high school will keep you up at both day and night, so I'm not surprised.

"Hey, Wallace! How's the trip going?" I ask. There is something fascinating about a sports teacher being an escort to a film class trip; I have to admit, now that I think about it.

"Oh, you know, bunch of film directors and critics telling us how movies are clearly art, not a mindless entertainment that exists in order for people to have fun." He tells me in an annoyed tone. "No wonder I never got into this subject." He added, and to be honest, I kind of understood him.

"Sorry to hear that, buddy." I reply to his complaints. "Anyway, today is the day you are meeting this Mark, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I remember I need to ask him about Maureen, Veronica. I haven't forgotten about your investigation." He reassures me.

"Thanks, you are the best sidekick ever." I tell him. "Can you meet me in my hotel after you are done for the day to give me the details?"

"Sure thing, V. I'll talk to you when I'm done."

"Okay, great. Thanks." I say before I hang up again.

So, our diva is indeed suspicious and I've got someone who is going to interrogate her ex-boyfriend and current clips editor. So far so good, Veronica. Now, I just need to see what Mac has for me on the matter.

"Hey, Veronica. How is New York?" Mac asked me as soon as she picked up the call.

"It hasn't changed since I left for Neptune a few months ago." I answered. "Have we had any new clients come in since I've been gone?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Nope, it's still as quiet as ever." She said before changing the subject. "It did give me time to learn about our target, if you are interested."

"Show me what you got, Mac."

"Okay, the first thing that I think is worth mentioning - it's not mentioned anywhere that Maureen is married." Mac started off with the thing that we all knew going into this.

"She says both she and Joanne decided on that, because of bad publicity for Joanne as a lawyer." I explained to her.

"If you say so, Veronica. Also, there are A LOT of internet articles about her songs and the concerts she has done in the past." Mac said with disgust in her voice. "This girl seems crazy, Veronica. You should be careful on how you approach her." She tells me.

"I actually went over to her house yesterday." I updated her. "She easily gave me the impression that she is hiding something. All I need to do now is tail her and with more information from you, I'll get her." I told Mac confidently.

"And she wasn't all weird? Because the stuff I found is pure craziness."

"Well, she did say she always wanted to pierce her nipples, but decided against it because it grossed Joanne out." I told her, and I could practically see her expression through the phone.

After a minute of silence, Mac finally responded. "I'm not sure if this is romantic or creepy."

"You and me both, sister." Mac continued to tell me every little thing she had found about Maureen. To be honest, I'm surprised she found so much. I mean, yeah, she isn't the first singer to raise controversies over song lyrics or her behaviour, but damn. There are so many stories about this chick that I don't even know what to think of her. She is literally everywhere and for better or worse, I will expose her.

Oh yeah, I'm sure of it now. She IS cheating on Joanne. My main objective now is following her throughout her schedule until I eventually catch her locking lips with Mrs. Affair.

Even though Mac told me everything that I needed to know, I still want to hear what this Mark has to say on the matter before moving on. I mean, he dated her and either he dumped her or she dumped him. He might say something that will shed some new light on the situation.

I waited for Wallace to notify me whenever he is coming for our chat. At about 5 PM, he said that he was on his way to my hotel. When he got there half an hour later, he told me what Mark had to say.

Turns out I was right with my way of action. What Wallace told me did shine some new light on this case, one that's changed this investigation from an affair… into a murder.

**Well, that is some new light indeed, isn't it? More information will arrive in the next chapter!**

**Thanks for reading and leave a review if there is anything you want to say!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is the 5th chapter! We are half way done!**

**Nothing else to really add other than the usual hopes for you to enjoy and the usual thanks to glamorouspirate for betaing this story!**

I'm getting ahead of myself here. It all started when Wallace and I met up in the hotel lobby once he had managed to slip away from the group he was escorting, while one of the other teachers made sure the students weren't up to any trouble. If there was something that both Wallace and I knew, it was that allowing high school kids to do whatever they want, especially at Neptune High, ends up in mayhem.

But back on the subject, he told me how he had met Mark and what he had learned from him. Apparently Maureen is a bisexual, meaning she is attracted to both men and women. Her parents, however, always preferred her being with a man rather than a woman. I could see how a daughter could turn out like her, with such support from her parents, now that I think about it. Anyway, Mark was her boyfriend for quite some time… and then she met Joanne.

While heartbroken by the fact that Maureen had dumped him for a girl, he and Joanne had gotten along just fine. In fact, she helped him get his first movie produced. It also turned out that as of today, they are the only 3 out of a large group of friends that are still in contact with each other.

One of their friends, a transvestite named Angel, died around 20 years ago due to Aids. His/her boyfriend, Collins, started teaching Philosophy in Howard University. The last 2 were a couple that went by the names of Roger and Mimi.

Now, here is where the whole thing started to come together. This Mimi was also a singer and Roger was her songwriter and composer. As opposed to Maureen, she didn't receive as much popularity. Seeing how both of them were great friends however, Maureen agreed to have Mimi sing alongside her in one of her concerts. I have to admit, that was kind of nice on Maureen's behalf.

The reunion happened a few months ago, apparently around the same time that Joanne started to suspect Maureen of cheating on her. After the aforementioned joint show, Maureen and Mimi went to celebrate at some bar nearby. None of their friends were with them at the time and when each woke up the next morning, Maureen wasn't herself. It seemed to everyone, it turns out, that she was hiding something but no one was sure exactly what.

And then, a few months later, Joanne came to me…

That was a huge lead for this investigation. No one they knew was in the bar at the time, Maureen seems to me like a person that will drink and according to Wallace and his information, she is also familiar with the "beverage" that makes you do stuff.

So, 2 wild girls celebrating in a bar, drinking. Next morning after the party, one is acting weird like she is hiding something. Apparent wife is worried about Maureen cheating on her and everything seems to make sense time-wise.

"I solved the case!" I exclaimed just as Wallace finished filling me in. I was sure this was all done. Everything fits together.

"Glad I could help, V." Wallace told me with that smile of his.

"Thank ya, buddy!" I say in a funny voice I came up with on the spot before high-fiving my very helpful friend.

But, after most of high school and a year of college of doing this and attending law school for a few years, I should have learned that nothing is over until it's over. And this case, as it turned out, was nowhere near over.

As if it was scheduled, Mac called me just as Wallace and I were about to officially start celebrations and call Joanne. I answered the call and what Mac had to say changed the entire direction this investigation was going.

"Veronica, I found something that you should probably see. I emailed it to you just now." She told me in a serious tone. I didn't even tell her about our breakthrough, I just headed as fast as I could to my room with Wallace following behind me.

After we reached my room, I opened my laptop and quickly checked my Email. 20 new messages, 19 are junk mail and one sole Email that was important.

I opened it and a newspaper cover was presented in front of me. The headline talked about a murder that happened at some bar called "The Luna Gala" in New York with a picture of the Bar's entrance and logo, kind of a weird name I have to admit. At the bottom of the cover page was a small picture depicting Maureen singing with another girl.

"I sent you the review of Maureen's concert with that woman. You have to see one of the pictures the paparazzi took." Mac told me without slowing down.

I opened the next file as quickly as I could. The girl that was with her was probably this Mimi that Mark spoke of. When my eyes met Wallace's, I knew we were both thinking the same thing. After looking at the pictures, there was one picture of Maureen and apparently Mimi going inside a bar. What bar? Well, Mac was nice enough to confirm that it was, in fact, that same bar that a murder had been committed in the exact same night.

Well, what do you know?

"Veronica, are you there?" Mac asked after a few long seconds of silence.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here." I eventually said. "It's just that I thought I had this case solved because I know what happened." I told her. "Now… it seems like we are in for something WAY bigger than just an affair."

"Do you think Maureen has some connection to the murder?" Wallace asked me.

"I don't know…" I paused for a few seconds, trying to recollect my thoughts while checking the pictures and headline over and over again. "I guess we will find out soon, however."

This was it, no more nice Veronica. After what the newspaper hinted at, Maureen Johnson has now been granted a pass to the "Veronica Mars is going to tail your ass until she busts you" club and I'll make sure to stamp her hand so that she can come back anytime.

**Okay, this entire thing just gets more and more complicated huh? Well, that's mystery for you...**

**I had no idea how to get the other "RENT" characters into this without it seeming forced, so I put them in as cameos. Mark WILL be making a future apperance, but my focus stays on Maureen and Joanne for obvious reasons...**

**See you guys next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Another chapter is here! **

**I had a fun time writing this one, and it moves the plot as well. How can you go wrong?**

**Hope you will enjoy and once again, thanks to glamorouspirate for betaing the story!**

I will be honest, I have no idea how I managed to sleep that night. All the information I had collected was making me play out possible scenarios in my head about what this girl had actually done. Was she a murderer? Did she do it and just… run away from it, thinking this could be forgotten?

Then I realized something, maybe there wasn't an affair at all. Maybe what Maureen was hiding was the fact that she took a person's life and she is afraid of it because of Joanne's occupation and what this could mean for their marriage.

Before I was able to get my thoughts into an order that made sense, I was already asleep, which explained why I woke up the next morning panicking over the entire thing. Well, I'm not backing away now. On the contrary, I'm about to go all out for the rest of this investigation. The morning after Mac gave me the details, I took my camera with me and headed to where Maureen's schedule led me.

I first rented a car, so that I could be more mobile on my own and headed for the stage hall where Maureen was going to have a concert in a few days. I guess that committing murder is something that goes away after a month, because throughout the entire day I was following her, she didn't show any signs of hiding something. Maybe all you need is to push her buttons for a bit before she starts getting stressed.

After a long day of following that woman throughout most of New York, I finally made it back to my hotel room. I had 4 more days to crack the case with tons of clues and possibilities, but no leads or evidence that supported them. Serves me right for getting way too cocky on this case, it proved to be way harder than I thought it was going to be.

I started pacing through my room; where am I going from here? I looked at what Mac sent me, I listened to the recording of my conversation with Maureen, I thought about what Mark told Wallace, I looked at the board in my room trying to get somewhere with this case… but I didn't manage.

I didn't want to call Joanne and tell her just yet, because nothing was solid, but I was literally stuck in place as of that moment.

The only thing I could have done before ending the day was to look at Maureen's schedule for the next day. If there is one thing I'm grateful for with this woman, it's that she follows this thing every day and never ever defies it, according to Joanne and my recent tailing behind her.

Turns out that she is not leaving her house during the next day, she is just lazing about at home. Okay then, time to pull off the "tape recorder in disguise" and "PI in the field looking through a camera" methods. They worked for me once, maybe they will work again.

I called Joanne for this one because she will be needed for this plan to work.

"Hello, Veronica." She answered. "Any progress?"

"On one hand yes, on the other hand… this might have gotten a bit more complicated than anticipated." I was honest with her, as I don't want her to think everything is hunky dory. "I'm calling because I need your help with pulling something off that relates to our case." I told her.

I left out what I found out about the murder from our little chat. As much as I don't want her to believe everything is okay, I also don't want her to think Maureen was involved in a murder until I can confirm it.

I asked Joanne to stop by the hotel I was staying at in order to pick up a small recording device that she could plant in her and Maureen's home. I asked her to not turn it on until she leaves the house the next day so that the batteries won't die by the time I get there.

The next morning arrived fast, thankfully, and after setting up for the day, I headed towards the bugged house. I made my way to the top of the building standing next to Maureen and Joanne's house and positioned my camera on its stand.

By the time I was done setting up everything, Joanne texted me that she had activated the bug and left the house. After I caught my lawyer friend exiting the building through my camera's lens, I aimed for the inside of the house.

Spying on Maureen Johnson via this method made me question the paparazzi and their ways of grabbing celebrity photos. I mean, I just had a full view of the woman's living room and no one really noticed me. PI 1 paparazzi 0, I guess.

I spied on Maureen for about an hour, which to be completely honest, passed by really fast. I'm surprised no one has made a documentary on this chick yet. She did so many things during that hour; Yoga, stretching, watching porn, drinking and the list goes on… I'm amazed.

My fascination was cut short however, when Maureen went to open the door to her house. Actually, let me rephrase that, my fascination GREW once she opened that door.

At the door was a man who looked to be around my age surprisingly. I could tell he was my age just from his body structure, as he wore a hoody for some reason. The 2 talked for a few seconds, definitely something I would want to listen to once I reach my hotel room, when all of a sudden, they kissed.

I wasn't able to see the man's face but I could see Maureen's lips touching his. Plus, the way he put his arms around her waist kind of confirmed my suspicion that they were indeed making out.

My brain reacted fast, ordering me to take as many pictures as I could before they broke apart. This was a very intensive make-out session I have to say, and considering the fact that my target was watching porn a few minutes prior to this, I was preparing myself for them to go all the way.

Luckily for me, because I had no idea how I would have shown Joanne pictures that would have been rated R, they didn't go there. The guy left the house, not taking his hoody off for whatever reason and I noticed Maureen lying on the couch she had sat on earlier. Was she looking… disgusted?

I quickly checked the photos I took and now after examining this closely, I noticed Maureen wasn't really showing affection towards the guy during their kisses. In fact, she looked really un-cooperative to say the least.

It had happened again. I was sure that this case was closed once I started taking the pictures. I had the money shots after all, what more can your client need? But then there is the question, if Maureen is cheating on Joanne, why does she look sick while doing so? Something is still not right here and I'm about to find out what.

And I know exactly how I'm about to do this.

I grabbed my camera and headed towards the house. When I reached the door, I knocked on it a few times. Maybe if I show Maureen that I caught her, she will talk. I sure hope she will, for her sake. The chick is cheating on her wife, probably against her will by the look of this…

"Who is it?" I heard her ask through the door. She didn't sound happy so I needed to play my cards right in order for this to work.

"The paparazzi that caught you cheating on your wife!" I replied. That sure scared her because I could hear her walking towards the door, her feet not showing the floor much mercy. She either remembers what I sound like, or she is panicked because of what I said; meanwhile she is dancing to my instrument.

I think she just broke the record for the world's fastest door opening, because that door literally flew open. After about 5 seconds of sending me death glares, she remembered who I was. "You!"

"Me." I said with a smirk as I pulled my camera out. "Like I said, I caught the mini affair you just had with Mr. Hoody."

"So what? Are you going to show it to your little IP group or something?" She asks, not noticing the slip.

I let out a small giggle, she was so fun to toy around with. "I'm a private investigator, Maureen. Not an intellectual Property." I said, triumphant. "And I guess I should admit, I tricked you about the PI group thing. Joanne hired me to check if you are cheating on her and I happened to get the pictures I needed right now." I pointed to the camera.

Maureen's face was in utter shock at what I just said, like she didn't plan for this to happen. She looked broken, something is hiding in there, I just need to play with it a bit more and she will talk.

"So, I'm going to show these shots to Joanne. I need to make a living after all." I said as I started to walk away. "Good luck on your show in 2 days!" I added with a wave before I started to walk away. If I played it right, she should call me back in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

"Wait…" She suddenly said. My smirk was literally over the moon. She did exactly what I thought she would do. I turned around, my smile now gone, to see her facing the floor. "What you saw, I'm not cheating on her because I don't love her… I'm doing it so that I won't hurt her." She said.

Hurt her? This case is just getting deeper and deeper. I saw tears starting to fall, she obviously kept this to herself for quite some time by the looks of it. I put a comforting hand on her shoulder and she looked up at me. "Do you want to tell me about it? I can help." I offered and she nodded at me before letting me in again.

Now that I've got her to cooperate with me, I assumed she would tell me exactly what happened. We sat down in the living room and after she calmed down, she started to tell me everything. Well played, Veronica. You are never losing it.

**Writing Veronica is really fun! I should do more stories with her after this... if I get an idea for one that is...**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks again to glamotouspirate for betaing the story and see you next time!**


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